Provo MSA Development Thread

[delts145]

Originally Posted by Wasatch Wasteland

One major solution in the short term would actually be de-investing in massive water infrastructure projects.

Lake Powell, and all the major reservoirs along the Colorado River, are located in some of the hottest and most arid climates on the planet. Because of this, roughly 1/3rd of the entire volume of runoff (not total lake volume, annual runoff volume) for each year is lost to evaporation, from the sheer size of the surface area of water located in the hot desert.

This pattern/proportion of water loss is repeated downstream at Lake mead, Lake Mojave, and Lake Havasu, meaning the the total initial water volume at the confluence with the Green River is roughly 66% post Powell, 43% post Mead, 28% Post Mojave, and 19% post Havasu.

That's astonishingly over 3/4ths the annual volume of Colorado river water lost to evaporation each year, just by storing the water. Removing lake Powell alone to fill lake mead downstream would result in an instant 1/3 increase in annual Colorado river flow. As Lake Powell is currently the only reservoir that provides no pipeline or drinking/irrigation water, is by far the most environmentally damaging, and the most at risk of water dropping below the level for power generation, it makes sense as the first. It's a massive water waster isolated in the middle of the desert, hundreds of miles from the nearest sizeable city.

Removing massive infrastructure in the desert, not building more, is a way to dramatically increase water supplies while restoring Colorado river ecosystems.

Are you advocating draining Lake Powell? That is a definite non-starter where I am concerned.

I would seriously have to doubt your evaporation statistics given what was presented as fact regarding Utah Lake reclamation. Note, I'm not devaluing your personal opinion on the matter but I am questioning the information you were given. I would want a lot more info. before any redevelopment of the Lake took place, whatever the mode of redevelopment taken. It would seem like there is a lot of hyperbole going on from both sides of the issue, both from island proponents and particularly on some of the information you gleaned from the opponents of the redevelopment of Utah Lake. Many of the claims from the information you presented regarding the island information were patently false or at best outdated. Please refer to this post:

Originally Posted by Deek1978

A quick Google search and browse of Google Earth shows that there were only 3 palms to be built, two of them were. The 3rd was started but abandoned because of slow development on the second palm. The slowing came because of a worldwide recession. The Earth Islands were also finished, and they are currently under development. This has not gone as fast as Dubai had hoped, but they are not abandoned.

I couldn't find any information about the islands sinking. I did find that they are studying the ecological impact but claims that it has destroyed the
eco system are claims only at this point.

I'm not arguing in favor or against creating the islands. Much more information is needed. It just seems like people are letting their preconceived bias make their minds up before studying the issue. Let's use this proposal as a starting point to have a much deeper conversation.

[bob rulz]

I know this is a side note and a controversial opinion, but I think I might agree with Wasatch Wonderland on Lake Powell. It's quite unsustainable, and its recreational value is rapidly diminishing as its water level gets lower every year. Its days are numbered with climate change, and honestly we're just delaying the inevitable. I know a lot of people have an emotional attachment to the lake, but is it worth the environmental drawbacks?

[delts145]

Major Performing Arts Center Coming To Pleasant Grove

Lehi Free Press, Feb. 23rd - https://lehifreepress.com/2022/02/23...d-and-funding/

PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, Feb. 23, 2022/PRNewswire/ — After 32 years of entertaining Utah families, the Hale Center Theater Orem has found a new home on the campus of doTERRA in Pleasant Grove, Utah. In collaboration with the Cook Center for Human Connection and the City of Pleasant Grove, doTERRA has donated $5 million and provided the land that will allow the theater to begin construction of its new performing arts facility. As part of the relocation to Pleasant Grove, the Hale Center Theater Orem will be formally renamed “The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater” and less formally known as “The Ruth,” in honor of the founders.

“The arts are a vital part of our community, and we can’t think of a better investment than to support a beloved fixture of Utah County and an organization that is committed to bringing people together through uplifting and quality
entertainment,” said Gregory Cook, doTERRA founding executive and Chairman of the Board. “We appreciate the vision of the Hale family and the cooperation of the city of Pleasant Grove who worked together to make this new theater a reality.
We can’t wait for this beautiful addition to our campus and to Pleasant Grove.”

The new building is expected to nearly double the capacity for the main proscenium-thrust stage with 670 seats, and will allow for an expanded completely “in-the-round” theater. It will also include a second performing space with flexible seating
for youth productions and smaller shows. The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater will include the Hale Academy for the Performing Arts and its education programs for youth and adults.

“We are so grateful to doTERRA and the city of Pleasant Grove for the opportunity to grow our theater and expand our educational programs,” said Cody Swenson, Executive Director and co-founder of the Hale Center Foundation for the Arts and Education. “We’ve been blessed to call Orem home and are glad to know we won’t be moving far. We extend our warm appreciation to the city of Orem and its many leaders and community who have supported our theater for more than three decades. Thank you to those who have donated to this project and helped us get to this point in our journey. We welcome the continued support of individuals and organizations interested in contributing to the new Theater.”

The city of Pleasant Grove has pledged its support to help the theater construct and operate the new arts facilities.

“We have long admired the incredible product the Hale family has put on its stage for the last 32 years, and when we saw an opportunity to welcome them to our city, we didn’t think twice about it,” said Guy Fugal, mayor of Pleasant Grove City. “This change will allow the Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater to grow to new heights while also bringing tremendous economic impact to the city. We know our citizens, as well as art lovers from across Utah County and the state, are celebrating
this announcement and are excited for the possibilities.” The Ruth and Nathan Hale Theater is set to break ground in Pleasant Grove in the summer of 2022 with building completion expected in early 2024.

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[rockies]

Is this new? I saw a billboard on the I-15 that advertised imagineutahlake.org and it looks like Lake Restoration Solutions put out a new brochure with more refined/updated plans. I haven't read it all yet but it appears to be more environmentally focused now. Idk how I feel about islands at all but this is a pic of their new environmentally friendly island concept. It is significantly better than the atrocity I had seen before...


Imagine Utah Lake Brochure

[Paniolo Man]

Originally Posted by rockies

Is this new? I saw a billboard on the I-15 that advertised imagineutahlake.org and it looks like Lake Restoration Solutions put out a new brochure with more refined/updated plans. I haven't read it all yet but it appears to be more environmentally focused now. Idk how I feel about islands at all but this is a pic of their new environmentally friendly island concept. It is significantly better than the atrocity I had seen before...


Imagine Utah Lake Brochure

It'll still ecologically devastate the lake and undo all of DNR's hard work to restore the lake the right way. They can't claim to be environmentally friendly while suing scientists for speaking out against their proposal.

Plenty of better development projects that won't destroy an entire riparian ecosystem.

[delts145]

Utah Lake Restoration Project must complete Environmental Impact Statement

Ashtyn Asay for the Daily Herald - https://www.heraldextra.com/news/local/2022/mar/18/utah-lake-restoration-project-must-complete-environmental-impact-statement/

Lake Restoration Solutions, the proponent of the Utah Lake Restoration Project, announced Wednesday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has deemed an Environmental Impact Statement to be necessary for the project to move forward in the NEPA process.

The Utah Lake Restoration Project is a proposal to dredge Utah Lake in order to create islands, which LRS claims will help clean up the lake while creating recreation opportunities and residential areas for residents. The project has received fierce opposition from local advocacy groups and different governmental bodies in Utah County....

A rendering of one of the proposed community islands in the Utah Lake Restoration Project.

...The USACE will ultimately select the contractor to create the impact statement, who they deemed to have adequate experience with NEPA and the regulatory program.

“As the lead Federal agency, the Corps is responsible for the preparation and content of the EIS to ensure an independent review,” reads the USACE Sacramento District website. “Although the applicant incurs the cost of the preparation of the EIS, the contractor is under the sole direction of the Corps, and will have limited interaction with the applicant.”

Benson hopes that the fact that the EIS will be prepared by a third-party contractor will provide stakeholders in the project with some peace of mind.

“By design, the environmental review process is a methodical and independent evaluation. Adding a third-party contractor whose work will be directed by the Army Corps provides confidence to all stakeholders that this review process will be unbiased,” said Benson.

After a contractor has been chosen to complete the EIS, the USACE will publish a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS in the Federal Register and issue a public notice. This Notice of Intent will be a call to action for members of the public to submit factors that should be considered in the EIS. Both the initial and final drafts of the EIS will be released to the public for public comment through an availability notice that will be published in the Federal Register.

Even as the Utah Lake Restoration project advances to this next step in the NEPA process, the process will take at least another two years.

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[Reeder113]

If they can make Utah Lake look like it does in that rendering , I'm all for it, especially if it also gets cleaned up during that process. It's a nasty lake and something has to be done.

[Atlas]

Looks like they've updated their renderings to improve their PR. I don't trust them.

[Reeder113]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Looks like they've updated their renderings to improve their PR. I don't trust them.

I don't either. But I trust even less that the lake ISN'T going to kill my dogs.

[Stenar]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

If they can make Utah Lake look like it does in that rendering , I'm all for it, especially if it also gets cleaned up during that process. It's a nasty lake and something has to be done.

This stupid project will ABSOLUTELY NOT clean the lake. The only thing that will clean the lake is removing all the nitrogen and phosphorus from the sewage water before it is dumped into the lake.

[i-215]

Originally Posted by Reeder113

If they can make Utah Lake look like it does in that rendering , I'm all for it, especially if it also gets cleaned up during that process. It's a nasty lake and something has to be done.

I agree. That actually looks nice.

Originally Posted by Atlas

Looks like they've updated their renderings to improve their PR. I don't trust them.

And I also agree with you. I'm still gun-shy after that disasterous fiasco ten years ago— the one with the scam artist who sucked some old guy into fronting $100,000s into "studies" for a new bridge. Turns out, the FBI was using it as a sting to catch the scam artists. They did. But the old guy lost his money.

The good news is that if an EIS is required, the proponents are going to have to document the crap out of this project. So at least everyone will know what we're in for.

[Atlas]

Let's not forget what they originally proposed:

[i-215]

That looks like it would sink.

A project like this without an EIS is like building a major freeway with an EIS. Without putting in the groundwork up front, you get what you get. And it's likely going to have problems. (Compared with, say, the MVC that goes through years and years of documentation comes out better [e.g., grade-separated bicycle facilities, ties into neighborhoods, etc.] EIS projects turn out better.)

And there's a good chance an EIS may come back with "NO BUILD" being the only viable alternative. And after spending a fortune, the proponents of this lake project may be disappointed to discover that as the outcome. But if an EIS alternative moves forward with vulnerabilities documented and mitigated, then there's a snowball's chance some version of this may turn out quite well.

[delts145]

Southern Metro - Thanksgiving Station

After years of deliberation, Thanksgiving Station receives approval

March 28, 2022 - By Skylar Beltran for the Lehi Free Press - https://lehifreepress.com/2022/03/28...ives-approval/

After years of planning, discussions and many revisions, the Thanksgiving Station transit-oriented development (TOD) received City Council approval on Tuesday, March 22.

Slopes Residential, a company including STACK Real Estate, Greer Company and Thanksgiving Point, had been at odds with the City over current and future infrastructure funding required for the development. Both parties have repeatedly disagreed about which entity would finance specific road and utility needs, as well as the number of units the area can support. That years-long disagreement came to a resolution on Tuesday. The needed infrastructure will be paid by impact fees directly from the development.

The original concept plan included 5,837 residential units and office and commercial space.

The most recent version of the Thanksgiving Station plan released in December of 2021, proposed new housing units of slightly fewer than 5,400, including a range of residences from studios to three-bedrooms. The proposed housing would have brought an estimated 12,190 additional residents to Lehi.

Prelimanary Rendering

The proposal also included 11 acres of park and open space, nine acres for a school, 500,000 square feet of office space, 52,000 square feet for a church, and 300 hotel rooms on 115 acres at Executive Parkway and Ashton Boulevard. The building would have occurred in phases over the next 20-25 years. The City Council unanimously denied that plan.

The now-approved concept plan has 1,800 units in the transit-oriented development (TOD) area which includes the Utah Transit Authority (UTA) property, the soccer fields north of the FrontRunner Station and the Cornbelly’s site. An additional 200 units will be outside of the TOD zone on property in the southern area of Thanksgiving Point on the corner of Triumph Blvd and Ashton Blvd.

The approved plan will also preserve Electric Park and Farm Country which were casualties in the last plan. The updated plan also creates ongoing funding for Thanksgiving Point as each rental unit will include a family membership to the venue. The membership cost will be included in monthly rents and disbursed to Thanksgiving Point...

...To begin the presentation on Tuesday, Slopes Residential representative John Bankhead said, “We’ve done our best to try and respond to feedback and get something that we feel will be a win-win for the community. It won’t exactly please everyone.”

“The concept plan aims to address the major issues facing Lehi and the state. Affordable housing, air quality, water and traffic,” continued Bankhead.

Mayor Mark Johnson opened the floor to public comment during the agenda item and public sentiment was split.

Opponents to the project have been vocal throughout the process citing concerns around traffic, population growth, the extension of Clubhouse Drive and the future of the Thanksgiving Point golf course.

Supporters of the project also came out to speak in favor of the development.

“I love the rapid transit. I would love to walk down from an apartment and walk to the grocery store or to a restaurant. There are people who really need this kind of concept,” said Evan Eames.

“This is exactly what I want in Lehi. I just bought my first house. I graduated from the University of Utah and was blownaway at the price.
This is a legit solution to the high prices in Utah. This is a long-term solution. I’m excited about it. This is smart growth,” said Connor Howler.

At the conclusion of the public comments, the council voiced their support of the proposed concept plan.

“I look at what has changed from last time. There is a much better unity among all the parties involved and that speaks volumes to me that this will be successful. You have the developer, you have the City, you have UTA, and you have UDOT. It’s important that we get the commitments from UTA and UDOT that we need. I do feel with the right triggers we can get it right and it will be a great project for Lehi,” said Councilman Chris Condie.

Meeting infrastructure milestones was a unanimous requirement from the Councilors, who want to see a timeline for each new road or traffic change and how many units can move forward at each interval. The largest trigger discussed was a cap of 600 or 850 units built before Clubhouse Drive was completed, with the remaining units coming after that improvement.

The state legislature recently passed a bill to change Clubhouse Drive (SB13) from a City road to a State road that will transfer the cost of the extension from Lehi and pass it to the State.

Councilman Chris Condie motioned to approve the concept plan with several conditions including:

-The south parcel on the corner of Triumph and Ashton must be zoned as a business park (not commercial).

-The south parcel must have a defined buffer zone for the nearby residents, as well as any potential loading docks are to be placed on the north end of the property furthest from homes.

-Infrastructure triggers to be defined, including:

​Traffic improvements at Triumph and Ashton Blvd

​Clubhouse Drive extension

​2100N (which is planned to have a dedicated right turn lane for drivers heading west ​​toward Saratoga Springs.)

-Emphasis on retail, restaurants and a grocery store in the area plan.

-The plan was approved by the Council 4-1...

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[i-215]

Looks like the old Park Place on the corner of 9th and 9th is getting replaced soon. I never lived there, but knew plenty of friends and family who lived at that intersection during my loooooong BYU tenure.

Last time I went by, Park Place looked pretty shabby. I thought maybe it was going to get refurbishment:



Boy, am I right/wrong. The entire place is getting torn down for a much larger, nicer complex:



Looks like it's bumping up to over 100 units, and 500+ students.
https://www.awinvest.com/park-plaza/

I can't tell from the page, but it also looks like they are going to re-develop across the street, but I can't exactly tell where. I believe here:





I have no idea what that old building is that it's wrapping around.

[tygr]

Originally Posted by i-215

I have no idea what that old building is that it's wrapping around.

That "old building" is non-existent right now.

[delts145]

^^^
WOW, Thanks for posting that I-215. I wish some of these projects would have been available for housing when I was at the Y. Those are two major projects, and a great location for student housing also. I especially like the vintage industrial vibe style of that one project. It reminds me a lot of The Dixon in Sugar House only much larger.

I assume 'that old building' is simply a well-articulated re-creation. Wouldn't it be great if they redeveloped some of that style over on University, especially around the stadium? Replace Riviera and those apartments (can't remember the name) across the street.

[Utahn]

Big news for the Provo Airport today as Allegiant announces its intention to form a four-aircraft base at the Provo Airport that will launch in November.

They plan to hire about a 157 people who will work out of Provo. I think we can be sure that this means Allegiant is going to expand beyond its current 8 routes out of Provo.

https://www.ksl.com/article/50394110...tions-in-provo

Allegiant Travel Company on Tuesday announced plans to invest about $95 million to expand in Provo, resulting in over 150 "new high-wage jobs."

Executives with the Las Vegas-based company said they plan to establish a four-aircraft base at Provo Airport that will begin operations by mid-November as a part of the expansion. The airline, which focuses primarily on linking small-to-medium city airports, currently has eight routes in Provo.

"We're delighted to grow alongside Provo, a market with phenomenal growth and convenient access to some of Utah's most treasured destinations," said Keith Hansen, Allegiant's vice president of government affairs, in a statement. "Allegiant understands the value of Provo Airport. ... (and) our investment means having locally based aircraft and crews, opening the door for future new destination opportunities for residents."

Allegiant officials say they are currently hiring pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and ground personnel that will work at the new Utah base. They plan to hire at least 157 people who will work out of Provo, saying that most new positions will be "more than double the state's average wage." The Utah Department of Workforce Services listed Utah's average wage as close to $49,000 in 2019.

[Reeder113]

New Topgolf in Vineyard, Utah announced

https://www.utahbusiness.com/new-top...tah-announced/

[StevenF]

Originally Posted by i-215

Can you imagine what the city of Vineyard would be like if the developers and city went with an industrial look like this for the city? Much of the city of Vineyard was once Geneva Steel and an industrial vibe would have been a call back to its steel days.